By mahir | April 7, 2011

Crowdfunding is the newest, hottest way to get creative projects off the ground. On Kickstarter, individuals invite friends and strangers alike to donate money for the realization of their great ideas. Kickstarter has been especially successful in helping food entrepreneurs-urban gardens, food trucks, and artisanal sodas have been launched from the Kickstarter platform. For more about Kickstarter’s success with restaurant-related ventures, check out Food Republic’s article Kickstarter Kicks Restaurants Up a Notch.

Here are a five cool food projects on Kickstarter right now:

1. Coffee Joulies: Getting coffee to the prefect temperature is tough-either it burns your tongue or cools down too fast. Coffee Joulies use a special material to keep your brew at a perfect 140 degrees. An example of a technology-based food project, Coffee Joulies have already been featured on ABC News, Popsci, and Gizmodo thanks to an overwhelming crowd response on Kickstarter.

2. Carolina Ground: Connecting farmers, millers, and bakers in North Carolina, Carolina Ground wants to make bread a simple, local product. The project responds to rising wheat prices to keep bread affordable and sustainable. Super fresh and super local, Carolina Ground bread will reaffirm the importance of farmer and bakers.

3. Arcadia’s Mobile Market: In Washington, D.C., “food deserts” exist in low-income neighborhoods where fresh, affordable food is relatively unattainable. Arcadia’s Mobile Market wants to use their Kickstarter money to transform a school bus into an education center and food distribution point. And it’ll run off used cooking oil!

4. Heritage Seed Co.: Supermarket produce can’t compare to the fruits and vegetables that once grew across America-those local, unique varieties of tomatoes, plums, watermelons, and potatoes are rapidly disappearing. Heritage Seed Co. intends to build a community around saving heirloom seeds. They focus on plants listed on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, a collection of varieties especially endangered.

5. Spoke N Spoon: A University of Michigan student’s senior thesis, Spoke N Spoon is a company that delivers local lunches by bike to Ann Arbor businesses. The project tries to frame local food as more attractive than fast food options.

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